DoorDash offers $17 billion for Instacart in what would be a big consolidation for grocery delivery

DoorDash is offering $17 billion to buy Instacart in a deal that could consolidate the grocery delivery business in the U.S. and abroad.Instacart, founded in 2012, specializes in grocery and convenience store delivery in the U.S. and Canada. DoorDash said the Instacart brand name and app would remain, and Instacart's 600,000 shoppers — who are independent contractors — would be able to continue fulfilling orders as before.Consumers who are currently paying $9.99 per month for separate DashPass and Instacart+ memberships, which give them free delivery on most orders and other perks, would be able to pay one fee instead of two, DoorDash said. Instacart customers would also have access to 50,000 additional stores that are on DoorDash's platform.Grocers would also be able to choose either delivery platform. Tony Xu, DoorDash's co-founder and CEO, said the deal could help local grocers compete with larger players. Walmart is the largest U.S. grocer, with 21% share of spending, followed by C